title: Effects of cordycepin on Y-maze learning task in mice.
abstract: Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) is the major bioactive component of Cordyceps militaris that has been widely used in oriental countries as a Traditional Chinese Medicine and healthy food for preventing early aging, improving physical performance and increasing lifespan. Cordyceps militaris extracts other than cordycepin have been reported to improve cognitive function. Although cordycepin is one of the most utilized Cordyceps militaris components, it remains unknown whether cordycepin could improve learning and memory. Here we investigated effects of cordycepin on learning and memory in healthy and ischemic mice using Y-maze test. We found that oral cordycepin administration at dose of 10 mg/kg significantly improved Y-maze learning performance both in healthy and ischemic mice. However, cordycepin at dose of 5 mg/kg enhanced Y-maze learning only in ischemic mice but not healthy mice. In this study, simultaneously, we found that orally administrated cordycepin significantly decreased the neuronal loss induced by ischemia in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions. Collectively, our results can provide valuable evidence that cordycepin may act as a nootropic product or potential clinical application in improving cognitive function of patients with ischemic stroke in the future.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, South China Normal University, 55W Zhongshan Ave, Guangzhou 510631, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Chun-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhong-Jiao
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hai-Hang
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Xiao
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Chu-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003839:Deoxyadenosines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003839:Deoxyadenosines; D018697:Nootropic Agents; C058120:cordycepin
keywords: Cordycepin; Healthy; Hippocampus; Ischemia; Neuronal loss; Y-maze test